Have We Not Reason to Rejoice

into our lives. The plain and simple truths of the gospel Have We Not Reason to Rejoice? warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds. They helped us look at ourselves and the world around us with different Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf eyes and from an elevated viewpoint. of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles My dear brothers and sisters, aren’t the restored October 2007 General Conference gospel of Jesus Christ and our membership in His Church Ensign, Nov 2007 pp. 18-21 great reasons to rejoice? Wherever you live on this earth and whatever your This is a joyful religion, one of hope, life’s situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of strength, and deliverance. Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable I still rejoice in the wonderful spirit we felt as we burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances sang together this morning: and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, “My Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation. grace is sufficient for thee.” And like Paul we can answer: No longer as strangers on earth need we roam. “My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly Good tidings are sounding to us and each nation. therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the (“Now Let Us Rejoice,” Hymns, no. 3) power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). These words by Brother William W. Phelps are As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we may quite a contrast to the world’s tendency to focus on bad claim the blessings promised in the covenants and the news. It is true, we live in a time foretold in the scriptures ordinances we received when we accepted the gospel of as a day of “wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in Jesus Christ. divers places” (Mormon 8:30), when “the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them” (D&C What Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 45:26). The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news, glad But how does this affect us as members of The tidings, and much more. It is the message of salvation as Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Are we living repeatedly announced by Jesus Christ and His apostles and with apprehension, fear, and worry? Or have we, amidst all prophets. It is my firm belief that all truth and light of our challenges, not reason to rejoice? originating with God is embraced in the gospel of Jesus We all go through different life experiences. Some Christ. are filled with joy, and others with sorrow and uncertainty. God, our loving Father in Heaven, has said that it I remember a time when things didn’t look good is His work and glory “to bring to pass the immortality and for our family when I was a child. It was in the winter of eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). God the Father is the 1944, one of the coldest during World War II. The war author of the gospel; it is a key part of God’s plan of front was approaching our town, and my mother had to salvation, or plan of redemption. It is called the gospel of take us four children, leave all our possessions behind, and Jesus Christ because it is the Atonement of Jesus Christ join the millions of fleeing refugees in a desperate search that makes redemption and salvation possible. Through the for a place to survive. Our father was still in the military, Atonement all men, women, and children are but he and Mother had agreed that if they were ever unconditionally redeemed from physical death, and all will separated during the war, they would try to reunite at the be redeemed from their own sins on the condition of hometown of my grandparents. They felt this place offered accepting and obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C the greatest hope for shelter and safety. 20:17–25; 76:40–42, 50–53; Moses 6:62). With bombing raids during the night and air Christ’s gospel is the only true gospel, and “there attacks during the day, it took us many days to reach my shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means grandparents. My memories of those days are of darkness whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only and coldness. in and through the name of Christ” (Mosiah 3:17; see also My father returned to us unharmed, but our future Acts 4:12). looked extremely bleak. We were living in the rubble of The core elements of the gospel message are found postwar Germany with a devastating feeling of in all the holy scriptures but are most clearly given to us in hopelessness and darkness about our future. the Book of Mormon and in the revelations to the Prophet In the middle of this despair, my family learned Joseph Smith. Here Jesus Himself plainly declares His about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and doctrine and His gospel, with which God’s children must the healing message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. comply to “have eternal life” (D&C 14:7; see also 3 Nephi This message made all the difference; it lifted us above our 11:31–39; 27:13–21; D&C 33:11–12). daily misery. Life was still thorny and the circumstances The gospel is clear and plain. It answers the most still horrible, but the gospel brought light, hope, and joy complex questions in life, yet even a young child can

1 comprehend and apply it. As Nephi said: “My soul salvation in the kingdom of God. This belief distinguishes delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord Latter-day Saints from many other Christian denominations God work among the children of men. For the Lord God that teach that salvation is given to all who simply believe giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto and confess that Jesus is the Christ. The Lord clearly men according to their language, unto their understanding” declared, “If you keep my commandments and endure to (2 Nephi 31:3). the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest The Prophet Joseph Smith followed the same of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7). pattern of clarity and plainness when he explained to the Therefore, enduring to the end is not just a matter world in a very concise way “the first principles and of passively tolerating life’s difficult circumstances or ordinances of the Gospel” (Articles of Faith 1:4), which we “hanging in there.” Ours is an active religion, helping must accept to receive the eternal blessings of the gospel: God’s children along the strait and narrow path to develop First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—believing in their full potential during this life and return to Him one the Redeemer, the Son of God, “with unshaken faith in day. Viewed from this perspective, enduring to the end is him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty exalting and glorious, not grim and gloomy. This is a to save” and then “[pressing] forward with a steadfastness joyful religion, one of hope, strength, and deliverance. in Christ, . . . feasting upon the word of Christ” (2 Nephi “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they 31:19–20). might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). Second, repentance, which includes a change of Enduring to the end is a process filling every mind, offering up “a sacrifice . . . [of] a broken heart and a minute of our life, every hour, every day, from sunrise to contrite spirit”; giving up sin and becoming meek and sunrise. It is accomplished through personal discipline humble “as a little child” (3 Nephi 9:20, 22). following the commandments of God. Third, baptism by immersion for the remission of The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is a way of life. sins and as a covenant to keep the commandments of God It is not for Sunday only. It is not something we can do and take upon us the name of Christ. only as a habit or a tradition if we expect to harvest all of Fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy its promised blessings. “Be not deceived; God is not Ghost, also known as baptism by fire, which sanctifies us mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also and makes us “new creatures,” born of God (Mosiah 27:26; reap” (Galatians 6:7). see also 1 Peter 1:23). Enduring to the end implies “patient continuance The gift of the Holy Ghost, given to us by our in well doing” (Romans 2:7), striving to keep the Heavenly Father and administered by one having authority, commandments (see 2 Nephi 31:10), and doing the works includes the merciful promise: “If ye will enter in by the of righteousness (see D&C 59:23). It requires sacrifice and way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all hard work. To endure to the end, we need to trust our things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:5). Through the Father in Heaven and make wise choices, including paying constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, every member our tithes and offerings, honoring our temple covenants, of the Church can receive “the words of Christ” directly (2 and serving the Lord and one another willingly and Nephi 32:3), at any time or place. This personal divine faithfully in our Church callings and responsibilities. It guidance helps us to remain valiant in the testimony of means strength of character, selflessness, and humility; it Jesus Christ and endure to the end of our days. Isn’t this means integrity and honesty to the Lord and our wonderful! fellowmen. It means making our homes strong places of Have we not reason to rejoice? defense and a refuge against worldly evils; it means loving and honoring our spouses and children. What Does It Mean to Endure to the End? By doing our best to endure to the end, a beautiful The scriptures teach us that once we have received refinement will come into our lives. We will learn to “do the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, our task then good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which is to “endure to the end” (2 Nephi 31:20). despitefully use [us]” (Matthew 5:44). The blessings that When I was a young boy, “endure to the end” come to us from enduring to the end in this life are real and meant to me mainly that I had to try harder to stay awake very significant, and for the life to come they are beyond until the end of our Church meetings. Later as a teenager I our comprehension. progressed only slightly in my understanding of this scriptural phrase. I linked it with youthful empathy to the Jesus Christ Wants You to Succeed efforts of our dear elderly members to hang in there until My dear brothers and sisters, there will be days and the end of their lives. nights when you feel overwhelmed, when your hearts are Enduring to the end, or remaining faithful to the heavy and your heads hang down. Then, please remember, laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, is the Head of this Church. It is throughout our life, is a fundamental requirement for His gospel. He wants you to succeed. He gave His life for

2 just this purpose. He is the Son of the living God. He has promised: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee” (3 Nephi 22:10). “I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (3 Nephi 22:8). My dear friends, the Savior heals the broken heart and binds up your wounds (see Psalm 147:3). Whatever your challenges may be, wherever you live on this earth, your faithful membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the divine powers of the gospel of Jesus Christ will bless you to endure joyfully to the end. Of this I bear witness with all my heart and mind in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.